76 Eldo tailight filler trim

[Paul Tesone]

I just purchased a 76 Eldo from an out of state dealer. The dealer replaced the plastic tailight fillers and their stainless trim before sending the car , but did a terrible job with the trim . Can someone give me a source where I can buy the trim so I can  replace what's on the car ? Thanks , Paul Tesone . CLC # 6876

[76eldo]

Paul,


If you are referring to the horizontal fillers, you can try to use the plastic chrome door edge material.

If you are referring to the upright quarter panel extensions, you can use that also, but the beveled corners are really tough to re-create.

Sometimes NOS parts become available, but I have not found any in a long time.

Good luck with the car.

Brian

[Paul Tesone]

 Brian - Thanks for the quick response . It is the trim on the upright quarter panel extentions about which I'm speaking.They did a poor job of approximating the left and right pieces where they come together at the top of the extension. As a result , there is a gap between them. The rest of the car looks great . While I have your attention , perhaps I can ask another question . The car was delivered to me a short time ago and put directly into my garage to wait for our New England winter to end . Before I took the battery out for the winter , I ran the car for a while . I then noticed antifreeze under the car which wasn't there when the car was driven into the garage. Since the battery was now out and the car not running , and the lighting poor , I couldn't tell where it was coming from . I called the dealer to ask him about it and he told me that those cars were " noted " for overflowing if the radiator was too full . At the same time, he told me he replaced the water pump before shipping the car to me ;, so he didn't think the pump would be leaking . When I took the radiator cap off to check ,the radiator was in fact filled to the very top . But I'm not convinced I buy his explanation . I'll find out come springtime , but I was wondering if you have any such experience . Doesn't any overflow go into the plastic reservoir bottle ? Thanks for helping someone with very little mechanical knowledge . Paul CLC # 6876

[Otto Skorzeny]

He might be right. Read the manual. Usually the water level should be  about 1-1 1/2" below the seal of the filler neck.

Was the car driven to your garage? If the engine was hot it might have come out the overflow hose. If it was delivered on a trailer it's unlikely the fluid came from the overflow hose.

[Ted in Olympia WA]

Congrats on the new car.  Sorry about the rear trim but as far as I know there is no aftermarket supply of this item and good used examples do not exist.  What they did on your car is about what most everyone does.

There should be an white overflow tank on the driver's side.  The hose exits the radiator on the passenger side and travels along the core support to the tank.  I should have one around here if you need it for $40 shipped.  This item should fit from 75-78.

TED

[35-709]

And with the overflow bottle in place and properly hooked up the radiator should indeed be full to the top and there should also be coolant in the overflow bottle --- about half full or a little less when the engine is cold.
Geoff N. 

[TJ Hopland]

I would not say there is anything on those cars that is know for coolant leaks. My 73 and 75 eldos (and the rest of my GM cars from that era) seem to be happy with coolant right up to the top of the neck of the radiator.  Both do have the overflow tank.  When you get it out in the spring have a good look at the hose that runs to the tank and the tank itself.  If they put in a new water pump and did not really drive it afterwords I could imagine its still burping air out and pushing a combo of air and coolant to the tank.  If there is a leak in the hose and or the tank that could be where it came from.  Its also possible that it was just coolant from the pump leaking, repair of the pump, or filling the system that was just sitting somewhere and got dumped unloading the car at your place.  Other place to look is at the T stat housing.  Like most housings of that era they were not high quality metal and after a few years they corrode and dont seal very well.   When mine have leaked it leaks down the left front side of the engine which is not where you would expect it since its more on the right side.

[Otto Skorzeny]

Yes. Those guys are all right. I should have looked at your car's year. I'm just in the habit of dealing with much older cars with no overflow tanks. So what the guy told you is pure bull$hit. It shouldn't be leaking at all no matter how full the radiator is.

[76eldo]

If it has a new water pump, it could be a gasket or a hose.

How much coolant are we talking about?

I would wait until you are going to start driving the car, and check it then.  the best way to find a slight leak is to have your mechanic pressure test it.

Brian

[76eldo]

Here is some more information for you on fillers.


This is a webpage I created to help others decide on what to do with their fillers:

www.sheffieldgarage.com/fillers.htm


Here is a car I am currently selling on ebay, and the fillers were trimmed with door edge molding:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250589582269

The results are good, and the car looks much better than having old ratty ones on there, or none at all.

Brian

[Barry Norman]

Would it be so hard for a manufacturer to repro these pieces? Would they be any harder to reproduce than the filler pieces ?

[Otto Skorzeny]

How many do you think they could sell and how much do you think people would be willing to pay for them? The numbers just aren't there to make reproducing these worth it.

[Doug 22747]

I just left them off mine and I think it looks fine. 

[Barry Norman]

I feel that anyone who buys the filler kits would buy them. They must make enough of those to make it worth while. Seems they would be easier to produce than the larger filler panels. I may be wrong, but more and more people are going to want the CORRECT replacement.

[Otto Skorzeny]

I think if it were worthwhile, they would already be doing it. My guess is that anyone who's considered making them has concluded that the price would have to be more than they expect people would want to pay.

[Barry Norman]

Maybe so, glad I was able to transfer mine to the new fillers.

[76eldo]

It's a tough part to reproduce.

Here's a tip on getting the old ones off of the old fillers...

Take the fillers with the old trim and submerge them in very hot water.  I have an instant hot unit for making coffee in my kitchen sink and ran this very hot water over the plastic trim and the edge of the filler, and they peeled right off.  If your fillers are breaking apart, be very careful handling them to avoid breaking the plastic trim.

Brian

[Paul Tesone]

Thanks to Ted , Otto , Geoff , Brian and others who were kind enough to respond . Brian ---great webpage ! You've got to love this forum and its members . Where else can you get this kind of response and enthusiasm from strangers ? Your answers support my belief that the antifreeze is coming from a leaking waterpump gasket or a loose hose . I didn't think it was the result of an overflow given I have a plastic reservoir . I'll let you know as soon as the good weather comes .AS far as the trim is concerned , no changes in the near future . I just want to get in the car and drive it without a pit stop at the restorer . That's why I bought a 21,000 mile car . In the meantime, thanks so much . Paul Tesone CLC # 6876

[Otto Skorzeny]

Where else can you get this kind of response and enthusiasm from strangers ?

Yah, and they don't get any stranger than us!